What's good
- Excellent screen quality
- 24/7 real-time tech support
- 8 megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash
What's bad
- Limited apps in the Amazon app marketplace
- Does not run stock Android OS
Amazon’s third iteration of the Kindle Fire tablet offers a much sleeker design than its predecessors. Like the name suggests the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9” has a 8.9 inch HD screen that boasts an impressive 339 ppi, on par with the Google’s Nexus 10. According to Amazon’s website, the HDX 8.9” also offers 100 percent color accuracy and reduced glare for better bright light viewing, which, according to Gizmodo, makes the Movie- and TV-watching experience “revelatory.” Aside from the excellent screen quality, the tablet sports a 2.2GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and up to 64GB of onboard storage. Considering its relatively large screen, many reviewers are impressed by its overall small size. The tablet weighs in at 374 grams (13.2 ounces) and measures 0.31 inches (0.78 cm) thick.
One of the features that differentiates it from other Fire tablets is the inclusion of the rear-facing 8 Megapixel camera complete with LED flash, image stabilization and a wide aperture for better low light pictures. Most critics find the addition of the rear-camera an upgrade over other tablet cameras with CNET going so far as to call it “spiffy.”
Aside from the camera, experts seem to enjoy the addition of the Mayday feature which provides free 24/7 tech support on the device as well as the ability to download Amazon Prime Instant Videos for offline viewing. The tech support feature connects users to an available tech representative who can gain access to the user’s Kindle and help by drawing images, launching apps, issuing commands or changing settings. Techland notes that users should not be worried about privacy concerns as Amazon reps only have access to the Kindle during the help session and can only control the tablet with the user’s permission. Most reviewers agree that the tech support has been quick and helpful and is a great feature for more mainstream users.
Despite the plethora of exciting new features, there are a few qualms. One of the largest issues, according to Techland, is the small app marketplace. Like the other Fire Tablets, this Kindle is locked to the Amazon ecosystem. This unfortunately means that many of the apps available to Android and Apple devices might not be available. ZDNet also notes that since it runs on its own OS - dubbed Fire 3.0 - many people who prefer Android might deem the Fire 3.0 OS a “dealbreaker.”
Overall, most experts find this to be an excellent mid-sized tablet for the price. Gizmodo states that the “Kindle HDX has eked out a victory, pulling waaaay ahead on the hardware front…” Slashgear goes on to say “It’s fast, portable, and well constructed…”
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Florian Wimmer , NotebookcheckIf you already use Amazon for shopping and also use the streaming services of the online retailer, then the Fire HDX 8.9 is a very good platform for media playback. But you will have to live with the software restrictions if you want to do more with your tablet.
- Joe Wilcox, Beta NewsI couldn't recommend the HD 8.9 because of app and browser shortcomings and so chose not to review the tablet last year. The HDX changes everything. The tweener gives you the best of Amazon and enough of everyplace else.
- Michael Sawh, TrustedReviewsThe new Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 sticks with much of the same great hardware but with a few improvements that make it a fantastic tablet for video and reading. Its only downfall is an operating system that still needs some fine-tuning.
- Warner Crocker, GottaBeMobileWhat the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 offers is a fantastic mobile device to use for entertainment and relaxing, at a price point that sets it far above the bottom tier, and just below the class of the field. It’s feature set, design, and performance are top notch. It has some software glitches still t...
- Tom Morgan, Expert ReviewsThere’s no microSD card slot to add extra storage capacity, so you're limited to storage capacity built into the HDX. You can choose between 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models, with Wi-Fi only or an integrated 4G LTE modem for internet access on the move.Unless you opt to pay £10 extra to disabl...
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